Electric heating element and support



Jan. 19, 1960 D. L. RlPLEY ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT AND SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1957 INVENTOR.

Duane L. Ripley BY Rfforney Jan. 19, 1960 v D. 1.. RIPLEY I ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT AND SUPPORT Filed June 10, 1957* 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Duane L Ripley BY Jan. 19, 1960 D. L. RIPLEY 2,922,017

ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT AND SUPPORT Filed June 10, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Duane L. Ripley ZWWQM HffOrneY United States Patent ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT AND SUPPORT Duane L. Ripley, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Edwin L. Wiegand Company Application June 10, 1957, Serial No. 664,849

7 Claims. (Cl. 219-35) The present invention relates to electric heating, more particularly to means securable to and for use with, an electric heating element, and the principal object of the invention is to provide new and improved means of such character. This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Serial No. 632,288, filed January l, 1957, for Electric Heating Element and Support.

It is customary, when mounting an electric heating element in an enclosure such as an oven, to position the element in the oven adjacent to but slightly spaced above its floor. In this way, air may circulate freely between the element and the floor and prevent damage to either because of excessive localized heat.

When electric heating elements of the sheathed embedded type are employed, such elements, for cleaning purposes, are usually mounted in the oven either by means of a hinge connection whereby the element may be shifted away from the floor or by utilizing a plug-in type connection whereby the element may easily be removed and replaced. In any event, because of the considerable span between the portion of the element connected to the oven and the farthest reach of the element, some means must be employed to support the far reach of the element properly spaced above the oven floor.

In the past, such support means usually comprised a support leg suitably secured to the element and extending from the latter to engagement with the floor. Initially, such support legs were welded directly to the sheath of the element; however, this construction was not entirely satisfactory because of the difficulty in obtaining a high production weld between the sheath and the leg which would withstand not only the stresses of handling but also stresses induced by expansion and contraction of the parts during heating and cooling cycles.

In order to eliminate the problems attendant with welding the leg directly to the sheath, it was proposed to tightly wrap a band about the element and then weld the ends of the band together. This band had a projecting portion which engaged the oven floor so as to space the element therefrom. This construction was also unsatisfactory since its cost was high, the band sometimes became loose enough to allow it shift from its desired position and, as was the case with the earlier mentioned construction, the Weld sometimes failed and allowed the leg to become separated from the element.

When, as above disclosed, a support leg became loose or separated from the element, it was necessary to remove the element from the oven and repair it or to replace it with a new one. This resulted in considerable expense to the manufacturer of the elements, the manufacturer of the ranges in which the elements were installed, and to the ultimate purchaser of the ranges.

The present invention provides a support leg which is assembled with the element Without the use of tools and which, because of the elimination of the expensive welding operation heretofore employed, is materially lower in cost. Further, since the assembly of the leg with the element is a simple hand operation, such operation need not be performed when the element is manufactured but may be performed at assembly of the various range parts. This in itself results in a cost saving since the elements and the unattached legs may be shipped in smaller cartons than is possible when they are assembled together. Additionally, the present support leg will remain securely fastened to the element under conditions of all but extreme, deliberate abuse; yet, it may easily be removed from the element, when desired, without damage to itself or the element. When so removed, the support leg may be re-used if desired. These and other advantages will readily become apparent from a study of the following description and from the drawings appended thereto.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application there are shown, for purpose of illustration, embodiments which the invention may assume, and in these drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of an oven having an electric heating element to which a support leg constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is secured,

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the invention shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the invention,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the invention,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but illustrating an intermediate stage of assembly of the support leg with the heating element,

Figure 6 is a reduced size plan view of another embodiment of the invention,

Figure 7 is an enlarged plan view of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 3 but of still another embodiment,

Figure 9 is a View similar to Figure 2 but of the embodiment shown in Figure 8,

Figure 10 is a sectional view generally corresponding to the line 10-10 of Figure 9, and

Figures 11 and 12 are views similar to Figure 10 but illustrating the adaptability of this embodiment to different conditions of usage.

As hereinafter disclosed, the present invention is adapted for use with electric heating elements of the type employed in heating ovens. However, it will readily be apparent that the invention is not limited to such use and may be used in other pertinent applications where an' electric heating element must be supported. Moreover, while the heating element herein disclosed is shown and described as being disposed adjacent the floor of the oven, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to elements so positioned and that it may be used with equal facility with elements which are disposed adjacent the roof of the oven.

Referring to Figure 1, there is fragmentarily shown an oven 10 having a floor 11, a ceiling 12, side walls 13 and a rear wall 14. Although not shown, the front of this oven' is adapted to be closed by a door in the usual manner.

Positioned in oven 10 adjacent to but spaced slightly above floor 11 is a sheathed embedded type heating el'ement 15. This element is formed of a plurality of interconnected portions including a front portion 16, which extends across the front of the oven, side portions 17 which extend along respective side Walls 13, and rear portions 18 which extend along rear wall 14 and terminate in respective terminal end portions 19. It will be noted that element 15 is so proportioned that its respective portions are spaced from respective adjoining oven walls.

In the present embodiment, element 15 has its terminal portions 19 supported by the rear wall 14 in any suitable manner. For example, terminal portions 19 may have prongs which fit into a suitable socket carried by the rear wall. This provides for making the necessary electrical connections to the element yet permits the latter to be removed from the oven for cleaning purposes. Another construction which may be employed to secure element 15 to the rear wall of the oven is to extend terminal portions 19 through suitable apertures in the rear wall and to make the necessary electrical connections behind such wall. Any suitable construction may be employed to hingedly secure the element to the rear wall whereby it may be pivoted from its position adjacent the oven floor to facilitate cleaning.

In any event, it will be noted that the span of the element from the rear to the front of the oven is too great to support the element merely from the rear wall; accordingly, means are provided for supporting the element portion adjacent the door opening whereby it will be properly spaced above the oven floor. For this purpose and in the present embodiment, a support leg 20 is secured to element 15 adjacent each end of element portion 16 and since the support legs are identical, only one will be described in detail.

Each support leg 20, see Figures 2, 3 and 4, is preferably made of a spring wire and has an intermediate portion 21 and spaced end portions 22, 22. Intermediate portion 21 has spaced, aligned portions 23, 23 which provide an axis for a purpose to be disclosed and the intermediate portion between portions 23, 23 is depressed at 24 (in the relation of parts shown in Figure 3) and is engageable with the floor 11 of the oven. End portions 22 are formed to provide U-shaped portions 25 which lie in a plane disposed transversely of the axis of leg portions 23 and respective legs 26, 27 of each U- shaped portion 25 are spaced apart to receive respective element portions 16, 17 therebetween. Each leg 26 of respective U-shaped portions 25 has a finger 28 which fingers together with respective adjoining legs 26, 27 provide abutments engageable with respective element portions 16, 17. The spacing between respective abutments provided by fingers 28 and legs 26, 27 is less than that required to freely. pass respective element portions 16, 17 therebetween so that when the support leg is assembled with the element, the resiliency of the support leg will yieldably resist disassembly therefrom.

With the support leg secured to the element as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 so that it extends diagonally between adjoining element portions 16, 17, relative vertical movement between the support leg and the element will be prevented since portions 23 of the intermediate portion of the support leg underlie the element while the respective bights of U-shaped portions 25 overlie, the element. Relative horizontal movement between the support leg and the element will be prevented since leg portions 26, 27 of the U-shaped portions straddle regripped between the abutments providedby leg portions 26, 27 and fingers 28.

Assembly of the support leg with the heating element is simplicity itself and is readily accomplished without the use of tools. The support leg will first be positioned against the element as shown in Figure with portions 23 against the respective element portions and with such portions disposed between the legs of respective U-shaped portions 25. The support leg willthen be rotated about the axis of portions 23 in the direction of the arrows until fingers 28 snap over the respective element portions. Reverse rotation of the support leg will etfect disassembly thereof from the element; however, such reverse rotation will be resisted because of the fact that fingers 28 are engaged beneath the respective element portions. In order to remove the support leg from the element, a screw driver or the like may be employed to spring fingers 28 away fromthe element while simultaneously rotating the support leg in the aforesaid reverse direc tion. This will remove the support leg without damage to it or to the element.

Under certain circumstances it may be desirable to insure that the element is properly positioned between the side walls of the oven; accordingly, as shown in Figure 6, there may be employed support legs 20a, each similar to support legs 20 heretofore disclosed and each having a projection 29 which extends beyond respective element portions 17a and which engages with a respective wall 13a of oven 19a.

In the present embodiment, the support leg end portion 22a which is adjacent a respective oven side wall carries a projection 29 and in the construction presently disclosed, such projection is provided by employing an elongated finger 28a which is bent as shown in Figures 6 and 7 to extend beyond element portion 17a. In order to insure that projection 29 will not scratch the oven wall, this projection may have a ball 30 suitably secured to the end thereof.

It is to be understood that the support leg shown in Figures 6 and 7 will be assembled with its heating element in the same manner as the embodiment heretofore disclosed.

The previously disclosed embodiments of the invention are ideally suited for use with heating elements installed as original equipment; however, when heating elements are installed in the field to replace the original equipment elements in various makes and models of ranges, certain problems are presented. One of these problems is that there is no standard spacing between the heating element and the surface from which it is supported. Accordingly, one range may require that the element be spaced, for example, one inch above the floor of the oven While another may require that the element be spaced one half inch above the floor. To provide for such circumstances, the following construction is presently employed.

The embodiment illustrated in Figures 8 through 12 is similar to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 through 5; accordingly similar parts are identified by similar reference characters but with the sufiix 12 added.

As best seen in Figures 8 and 9, a U-shaped loop of wire 31 having spaced legs 32 is welded at 33 to portions 24b of the support leg so that the loop depends from the latter to position its bight portion 34 in spaced relation to the heating element. With loop 31 thus disposed, bight portion 34 provides an abutment which is spaced 1 a predetermined distance from heating element 15b and spective element portions and because the element is which engages oven'fioor 11b (see Figure 10) for supporting the heating element a predetermined distance above the floor.

For a purpose to be seen, wire loop 31 is preferably formed of wire which is annealed to a dead soft condition to permit it to be easily bent in the event its efiective length is to be reduced. As shown in Figure 11, when the construction of the oven is such that the heating element must be supported closer to floor 11b than is permitted by the loop 31 when it is disposed as shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, the loop may easily be bent, by the use of a pair of pliers or the like to shorten its effective length and thus provide an abutment, engageable with the oven floor, which is spaced closer to the element.

In the event the required spacing of the heating element above the oven floor is such that the loop cannot be used at all, it may be bent as illustrated in Figure 12 to permit portion 24b of the support leg to engage the floor of the oven. Obviously, loop 31 may be bent so as to provide a floor engaging abutment disposed anywhere between the positions shown in Figures 10 and 12.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments herein described may be variously changed and modified, without departing from the spirit of the invention,

' appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiments are illustrative only, and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. Means for supporting a sheathed electric heating element having a pair of interconnected portions disposed in non-rectilinear relationship, comprising an elongated snap-on support leg securable to and adapted to extend between said element portions, a portion of said support leg providing an axis about which said support leg is rotatable in a predetermined direction to assembly with said element and said support leg having spaced abutments between which respective element portions are receivable and such abutments being resiliently urged to a position wherein they define a space less than that required to freely pass said element, said abutments deflecting as they are forced over respective element portions upon rotation of said support leg about said axis in said predetermined direction and said abutments resiliently gripping said element to restrict unintentional rotation of said support leg in the opposite direction and consequent disassembly of said support leg from said element.

2. Means for supporting a sheathed electric heating element having a pair of interconnected portions disposed in non-rectilinear relationship, comprising an elongated snap-on support leg securable to and adapted to extend between said element portions, said support leg having an intermediate portion adapted to lie against said element and providing an aXis about which said support leg is rotatable in a predetermined direction to assembly with said element and said support leg having spaced portions each providing spaced abutments between which respective element portions are receivable and such abutments being resiliently urged to a position wherein they define a space less than that required to freely pass said element, said abutments deflecting as they are forced over respective element portions upon rotation of said support leg about said axis in said predetermined direction and said abutments resiliently gripping said element to restrict unintentional rotation of said support leg in the opposite direction and consequent disassembly of said support leg from said element.

3. Means for supporting a sheathed electric heating element having a pair of interconnected portions disposed an an angle of less than 180 degrees, comprising an elongated snap-on support leg of resilient wire securable to and adapted to extend diagonally between said element portions, said support leg having'an intermediate portion adapted to lie'against said element and providing an axis about which said support leg is rotatable in a predetermined direction to assembly with said element and said support leg being formed to provide spaced, U-shaped portions having spaced legs between which respective element portions are receivable, said U-shaped portions each lying in a plane extending transversely of said support leg axis and one leg of each U-shaped portion providing a tongue resiliently urged to engagement with respective element portions, said support leg deflecting as said tongues are forced over respective element portions upon rotation of said support leg about said axis in said predetermined direction and said tongues resiliently engaging said element to restrict unintentional rotation of said support leg in the opposite direction and consequent disassembly of said support leg from said element.

4. Means for supporting a sheathed electric heating element having a pair of interconnected portions disposed at an angle of less than 180 degrees and adapted to be positioned in an enclosure in spaced relation to a floor and a side wall thereof, comprising an elongated snap-on support leg of resilient wire securable to said element for spacing the latter from such floor and such side wall,

said support leg having an intermediate portion adapted to lie against said element and providing an axis about which said support leg is rotatable in a predetermined direction to assembly with said element and said intermediate portion extending diagonally between said element portions and being engageable with the enclosure floor for spacing said element therefrom, said support leg being formed to provide spaced, U-shaped portions having spaced legs between which respective element portions are receivable and said U-shaped portions each lying in a plane extending transversely of said support leg axis and one leg of each U-shaped portion providing a tongue resiliently urged to engagement with respective element portions, said support leg deflecting as said tongues are forced over respective element portions upon rotation of said support leg about said axis in said predetermined direction and said tongues resiliently engaging said element to restrict unintentional rotation of said support leg in the opposite direction and consequent disassembly of said support leg from said element, one of said tongues projecting transversely of the element portion adjacent the enclosure side Wall for engagement with the latter to space said element therefrom.

5. The combination comprising a sheathed electric heating element and a supporting leg securable thereto, said element having a pair of interconnected portions disposed in non-rectilinear relationship and said supporting leg being formed of resilient Wire and having spacedapart portions connected by an intermediate portion, each spaced-apart portion providing spaced abutments for receiving respective element portions therebetween and the abutments of each portion being resiliently urged to a position wherein they define a space less than that.required to freely pass said element, said abutments deflecting to receive said element therebetween and resiliently gripping said element to restrict unintentional disassembly between said element and said supporting leg, and a loop of annealed Wire Welded to said intermediate supporting leg portion and extending transversely of said element in a direction toward a support for engagement with the latter to space said element therefrom, said loop of annealed wire being freely bendable to vary its aforesaid transverse extension to thereby vary the spacing between said element and the support.

6. Means for supporting a sheathed, elongated electric heating element having a pair of interconnected portions disposed in non-rectilinear relation, comprising a support leg having spaced-apart portions connected by an intermediate portion, each spaced-apart portion providing spaced-abutments for receiving respective element portions therebetween and the abutments of each portion being resiliently urged to a position wherein they define a space less than that required to freely pass said element, said abutments deflecting to receive respective element portions therebetween upon assembly of said support leg with said element and resiliently gripping said element portions to restrict unintentional disassembly of said supporting leg from said element, and ductile means secured to said intermediate support leg portion and extending transversely of said element in a direction toward a support for engagement with the latter to space said element therefrom, said ductile means being bendable to vary its aforesaid transverse extension to thereby vary the spacing between said element and the support.

7. Means for spacing a sheathed electric heating element from a support, comprising a support leg having a first portion providing spaced-apart abutments of springlike material resiliently urged to gripping engagement With an element portion disposed therebetween and having a second portion of ductile material extending from said first portion to engagement with the support, said second portion being freely bendable to vary the amount of its extension from said first portion to thereby vary the spacing between the element and the support.

(References on following page) NITED STATES PATENTS Ma clnnes Nov. 19, 1929 Prade Aug. 15, 1939 5 K empton Apr. 7, 1942 Allen July 18, 1950 Peterson et al. Oct. 21,1952 Mason Ian. 31, 1 956 Lenz Sept. 11, 1956 Reno at al. Feb. 18, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 14, 1949 

